1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of respiratory devices and methods therefor and, more particularly, is a respiratory device for supplying a fluid, such as oxygen, to a user's nostrils without the need of wrapping oxygen supply lines around the user's ears to secure the device, and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oftentimes a patient will require a continuous oxygen supply while at a medical facility or while at home under medical care. Oxygen delivery devices, such as the cannula, are well known in the medical arts. The typical means and method for attaching an oxygen supply cannula to a patient's nostrils involves attaching a pair of oxygen supply lines to the cannula, and inserting the appropriate portions of the cannula into the patient's nostrils. Next, the oxygen supply lines are wrapped around the patient's ears, and the remaining portions of the oxygen supply lines are left to hang below the patient's chin, where an adapter couples the two oxygen supply lines into a single oxygen supply line. Additionally, below the chin of the patient, most systems use a slide connector to hold the two supply lines snugly against the patient's chin.
The problems with the prior art arrangement are many and significant. First, the reason that the oxygen supply lines are wrapped around the patient's ears is to provide a support for the oxygen supply lines, as well as for the cannula attached thereto. Thus, in order to have the cannula smartly fitted into the patient's nostrils, as desired, the oxygen supply lines are typically wrapped quite tightly about the patient's ears, and this is very painful for the patient. In response, some patients use a cushion around portions of their ears in order to mitigate the pain associated with having the oxygen supply lines so tightly tethered to their ears.
Another serious problem associated with the typical cannula oxygen supply system described above, and with other previous designs, is that the cannula has a tendency to fall out of the patient's nostrils. For some patients, this is simply unacceptable. Thus, they wrap the oxygen supply lines around their ears extremely tightly, and they snug the lower portions of the oxygen supply lines very firmly against the chin. Accordingly, the pain suffered by these patients is even greater than that normally experienced by the user; however, for a patient who must have the oxygen supply attached at all times, such pain is reluctantly accepted.
Therefore, there existed a need to provide a device for comfort, yet reliably attaching an oxygen cannula to a patient's nostrils, without the need for wrapping oxygen supply lines around the patient's ears.